90
Metascore
27 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerIn Panahi's case, he is insuperably handicapped by his current constraints. And yet, despite everything, here is This Is Not a Film, which is emphatically a film – and an extraordinary one.
- 100Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumThis is a great film, and a triumph of creativity and courage over repression.
- 100Time OutKeith UhlichTime OutKeith UhlichSure it is - and a great one at that.
- 100Village VoiceVillage VoiceIt's a political statement, an act of defiance, a master class in one auteur's body of work and process, and a document of a life unseen. But above all, it's a gripping entertainment.
- 90New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinIn totalitarian societies, artists have found all sorts of ways - some brilliantly imaginative - to disguise their political protest, but Panahi has no subterfuges left. This Is Not a Film ends with a whimper that is a bang. He must be freed.
- 88Slant MagazineSlant MagazineIn its way, this effort is both a forceful assertion of the most stifling brand of auteurism and a radical reconfiguration of its political potential.
- 80The New YorkerDavid DenbyThe New YorkerDavid DenbyThe movie is also about a man without fear. It is often funny and stirring, but as you are watching you know what the game will lead to; dictatorships are not known for their sense of humor. [5 March 2012, p. 86]
- 75The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasPleasing mainly just as a message-in-a-bottle from a restless, persecuted artist-that is, until the amazing closing shot, which brings the volatility of post-Green Revolution Iran home with unforgettable force.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyDeft and ironic, mixing banal reality with poignant metaphor in a typically Iranian style.